


As I'm Walking Towards the Door

by foundfamilyvevo



Category: BBC Radio 1 RPF, One Direction (Band)
Genre: Canon Compliant, M/M, POV Outsider, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-03
Updated: 2014-10-03
Packaged: 2018-02-19 14:56:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2392457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foundfamilyvevo/pseuds/foundfamilyvevo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Liam wants to kick himself because of course. All of Harry's stories have been opening with "Nick said-" or "Me and Nick were-" or "One time Nick-" and they turn into giggly messes around each other and Nick obviously loves Harry to pieces, and when Harry talks about him he gets that tongue-in-cheek grin, those dreamy eyes. Of course.</p><p>Or, Harry pines, Nick is oblivious, and Liam can't seem to mind his own business.</p>
            </blockquote>





	As I'm Walking Towards the Door

**Author's Note:**

> thanks to ray of sunshine and friend-spouse of mine b tumblr user littlepetlouis, potentially the only beta reader in the world who is happy to do three drafts for a 4k fic; also my pal ash, who basically spoon-fed me inspiration for this fic in the first place. love u both to pieces!
> 
> Disclaimer: This is based upon stage and media representations of people provided to me and doesn't say anything about the actual people in question, who I have no rights to. In saying this, please don't send this work of utter fiction to anyone it involves! Thank you :")

All the boys crashed at his house, and the sight that greets Liam when he gets up in the morning is Harry sprawled out on the couch, sighing dramatically with his hands covering his face.

Liam is fairly used to this and walks right past without a second glance, heading to the kitchen. Zayn is sitting on the bench, scrolling through his phone. His hair is tussled and his eyelids are droopy and Liam feels a quiet of affection for him.

"Harry's got a thing again?" he asks quietly, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah," Zayn yawns.

Liam sets about making tea. "How bad is it, d'you think?"

"Pretty bad," shrugs Zayn. "He's been lying there for like, an hour."

Tutting, Liam shakes his head. That definitely sounds bad.

Coming back into the lounge, he sets the tea down on the table and nudges Harry's leg. "Hi, Haz."

"I'm _pathetic,_ " groans Harry, without removing his hands from his face. He's in his boxers and what is probably the t-shirt he wore out last night.

"Yeah," says Liam gently, patting Harry's knee. "Who is it this time?"

Harry gives another huge sigh in lieu of answering. Rolling over, he wraps his arms around Liam's middle. "Can you believe how clingy I am? _I_ can't believe how clingy I am."

"I can," offers Louis instantly, as he enters the room. "Who is it now?" he asks, directing it at Liam. He looks pre-emptively exasperated with the conversation.

Liam shrugs. "No clue. Harry, do you want this tea or not?"

Louis sits down near Harry's feet and sweeps the mug off the table, taking a big gulp of tea even though it's sweetened and still very hot and not the brand he likes. "I'm sure we'll find out soon enough."

"Leave me alone," begs Harry, and they all know he doesn't mean it.

 

Louis is right, though. Liam has never met anyone in his entire life who's as obvious about a crush as Harry. He's sweet enough that most people notice, but don't mind, because even if they're not necessarily into him, it's practically impossible not to love Harry Styles. Plus, Liam has never seen Harry be bitter. At worst, he gets piney, but he's never mean about it. He just wants to love people, in whatever way they'll let him do it.

 

They're going out the next evening, and Harry has driven back to Liam's house. He greets Liam and Niall upon arrival, and then proceeds to spend about half an hour fixing his hair in the mirror. Liam is too busy getting ready himself to do anything about it but wonder.

Louis, on the other hand, is not half as preoccupied. When he comes in he shoots Liam a conspiratorial grin and then goes over to Harry, putting a friendly arm around his shoulders. "Hi, sweetheart. Don't worry, your hair looks fine. Who are you dressing up for, anyway?"

Harry frowns, pushing one bit of his fringe back and jutting his lower lip out. "I'm not gonna be annoying tonight," he decides firmly.

Niall, brushing his teeth a door down in the bathroom, snorts. Harry looks offended.

"Of course you're not, darlin'," Louis reassures him. "Who are you worried about annoying, though?"

"No one," says Harry grumpily. He still looks hurt and so for once, Louis seems to make the clever decision to leave it be.

 

As they walk in the door to the club, Harry scans the crowd right away, leaning up on his toes to see better. Liam watches him do this, feeling mostly fond, but a tiny bit nervous.

Harry's eyes light up and he's off, walking away so briskly it looks like he's struggling not to run. He goes up to someone, taps his shoulder, hugs him when he turns around, and - _oh._

Liam wants to kick himself because of _course_. All of Harry's stories have been opening with "Nick said-" or "Me and Nick were-" or "One time Nick-" and they turn into giggly messes around each other and Nick obviously loves Harry to pieces, and when Harry talks about him he gets that tongue-in-cheek grin, those dreamy eyes. Of course.

 

Harry has a drink or two and then he ends up following Nick around all night, laughing at most of what he says and the rest of the time gazing at him with the starriest look Liam has ever seen. He waits to see Nick respond to it in some way, for Nick to acknowledge the unbridled smothering - people's reactions are varied, from melancholy to amused, but normally there are...reactions. Nick goes about as if nothing is out of the ordinary at all.

 

At the end of the night, Harry is bordering on tipsy, and he presses a kiss to Nick's cheek as they leave. Niall already went home, and Louis is still refusing to speak to Nick, because once Louis makes something a Thing, it stays that way, sometimes for years. Liam has learned this the hard way.

"G'night, Nick," Harry says.

Nick smiles and hugs him, "G'night then, Harry Styles. Have a glass of water before you go to bed, yeah?"

"You should come home with us," Harry mumbles, "to make sure that I have a glass of water."

Laughing, Nick simply pulls back. Again, there's no spark of sympathy in his eyes, no overstatedly-platonic pat on the shoulder. He just laughs. "See you."

Harry sighs. "Okay, yeah. Bye."

"Night, Mr. Grimshaw," Liam adds, putting a hand on Harry's shoulder to steady him, and Nick waves him goodbye as well.

 

"Liam," Harry whines into Liam's shirt, as they climb into the car. "Liaaaam, I don't want to go home."

"D'you want to stay at m-" Liam begins, but Harry's already nodding vigorously. Louis laughs and makes a smug face that Liam reads as _have fun with that._ Liam maturely responds by sticking his tongue out.

 

The next morning, despite having had a glass of water as per Dr. Grimshaw's orders, Liam finds Harry moaning on the couch again.

"Liam," he huffs, from where he's curled up in two blankets around a pillow, making some sort of Harry-burrito, "I wasn't going to be annoying!"

"Yeah," says Liam, rubbing sleepdust from his eyes, "d'you want cereal or toast?"

"Liam," Harry repeats, and god, he really does sound miserable.

Liam pokes his head around the wall. "Harry," he replies, trying to sound sympathetic.

"I'm a _mess,_ " whines Harry, pulling the blankets up over his face. "And I must be so _obvious,_ it's painful. I can't believe how embarrassing I am."

"I don't think he minded, mate," Liam reassures him. To be honest, Liam isn't totally sure Nick noticed, which is...odd, to say the least. Because Harry's right - he's really obvious.

There's a brief silence, and then Harry sighs and concedes, "Toast, please, if you're making some."

 

Harry goes home. From there, for a few weeks, Liam mostly forgets about it. It crosses his mind every now and again, but Harry hasn't said anything about it during their phone calls (other than his usual rambling about things he and Nick have done or funny things Nick said, but Liam's used to that) and Liam crosses his fingers - tries to send 'positive energy' or whatever it is that Harry does - and hopes that the whole thing just blows over.

 

The next time he sees them both in the same place is at a house party Nick's holding. One Direction as a whole were invited, but only Liam and Harry go, because Louis was "busy" (read: he's giving Nick the half-joking cold shoulder), Zayn was "busy" (read: said with shifty eyes, uncomfortably looking at his feet, and they know that means he doesn't want to go out. They respect that), and Niall was "busy" (read: he actually had a prior arrangement). Normally, Liam would be worried about being abandoned or awkward, but in this case, he's interested to see how things are playing out.

Any hopes Liam had of Harry moving on are dashed when he sees how they hug. Harry does that nuzzly-head thing he does when he's overjoyed to see someone, and Nick still doesn't seem to know that's weird. He laughs and pats Harry's back, rests his cheek in Harry's hair, saying something along the lines of, "Hiya, love."

They stand together for a long while before splitting apart, apparently remembering that Liam exists. "Hi, mate," says Nick, and they shake hands. The difference feels almost comical. Nick is happy to see him, still, but... Liam shakes himself. It's none of his business, he reminds himself, and he should stay out of it.

It's very hard. To stay out of it, that is. Especially when Nick and Harry basically look like they're putting on this party as a couple, instead of as Nick and one of his guests. Harry runs errands most of the evening and then hangs around near Nick for the rest of it, hands in his pockets or on Nick's hip or covering his mouth as he laughs really hard at something that wasn't that funny.

Liam tries not to smile too conspicuously over the top of his glass of wine.

 

"Was I obvious?" Harry is asking, and they haven't even made it out of Nick's street yet. Nick saw them out to the car and he and Harry hugged goodbye for so long Liam actually got bored.

"Uh," says Liam. He's not sure if there's a way to let Harry down gently on that one.

"Dammit," says Harry, who seems to have gotten the picture. "Do you think he was annoyed?"

Liam can at least answer that. "Not in the slightest," he tells Harry firmly, and Harry relaxes. Then he starts to grin, and _blush,_ and he covers his face with his hands. "Harry Styles," Liam chides, "I can't believe you!" Harry makes a protesting noise.

"Stoppp," he whinges, and Liam reaches across and pats his knee as consolation.

 

"D'you think Nick likes him?" Liam asks Niall several days later, when they're out to dinner. This new Italian restaurant opened up in Liam's neighbourhood, and it proves Niall's love for good cuisine that he's come all the way down for the night to try it.

"You really want to talk about Nick and Harry?" says Niall, sounding bored. He doesn't even look up from his plate. "That soap opera's set to run for at least another decade."

It's meant to be a joke, but fear seeps into Liam's belly. Knowing them both, it honestly might take months for this whole thing to sort itself out - years, even, if they're feeling especially avoidant.

"What do you mean, anyway...does Nick like him?" Niall continues, twirling a large clump of spaghetti onto his fork. "They've made out."

Liam spits the mouthful of wine he had back into his glass. Niall laughs at him. Look, sure, Liam's kissed Harry before too - and Zayn, and Louis. And Niall, in fact. But that's _different_. Nick is totally different. "They've - what? When?"

"Loads of times," Niall shrugs. "According to Grimmy, that's a thing that all drunk best friends do. Harry's never been bold enough to correct him."

"For god's sake," mutters Liam. Niall makes an equally annoyed noise as he continues eating. The food is good - maybe a bit too much garlic for Liam's personal taste, but still good, and at least Niall seems to be enjoying himself. Louis always says that the only thing better than enjoying good food is watching Niall enjoy good food.

"So he must know," Liam says after a long silence. "Like. He must know that Harry likes him, right?"

"We're still talking about this?" Niall laughs. "C'mon, Liam, enjoy your food. Find something less nosey to worry about."

Liam feels heat rise to his cheeks at that, and he protests, "I'm not trying to be nosey, I'm trying to help!"

"I know," soothes Niall, resting his fingers over Liam's on the table, "but you can't always help, Payno. Not always. Some things Harry's got to muddle on through by himself, even if it might take him awhile, yeah?"

"Yeah," sighs Liam, letting the topic go, but he doesn't agree at all.

 

It's not that he's trying to prove Niall wrong, but Liam does continue to follow it up. He checks their twitters to see when they've been talking about each other, and he tries to keep up with when Harry is staying at Nick's and when he's not. It can be difficult, and it probably is nosey, but he _can_ help, he knows he can.

That's why, the next time Nick invites One Direction to a gathering he's holding, Liam takes him up on the offer. As usual, Louis rolls his eyes, Zayn says something about meeting with Perrie, and Niall is already going to a different party. Harry looks over the moon to be invited, as if there was ever any doubt that Nick would want him there.

 

Zayn raises his eyebrows at Liam, warning him not to cause trouble, and Liam feels misjudged. "I'm not Louis," he reminds Zayn quietly, as soon as he gets a chance. "I'm not going to try to make a mess of this."

"I'm not worried about you trying to, babe," says Zayn, with so much love that Liam doesn't even realise what he meant until later.

 

Harry might be a touch drunk, Liam notes, about an hour into the event. He's guessing this by how Harry is curled up in Nick's lap like an overgrown baby, face pressed into the back of the couch. Other people keep talking to Nick and shooting Harry confused looks, but Nick laughs and waves off their questions with, "This is my mate, he's just really tired, don't worry about him."

Towards the end of the event, Liam has settled close enough that he can hear what's happening - not that it matters, anyway. He could probably sit right next to them and they'd still be so wrapped up in their own little world that they wouldn't care.

"Nick," Harry says plaintively, moving so that his cheek is on Nick's shoulder and his hands are tucked up against Nick's chest. "Nick, you're my best friend."

"Thanks, pop star, back at you," Nick says, and it should be snappy or quippy or - something. Instead, it's soft and sweet.

"You're my best friend," Harry continues, frowning as his words slur together. "Best, best ever, and I want to make out with you. We should have kids."

Nick snorts, combing Harry's hair back out of his face with his fingers. "You're very sleepy, sweetheart."

If it were anyone else, Liam would think sleepy was another way of saying absolutely smashed, but with Harry he's not so sure. This could be Harry after only a few glasses of wine but not nearly enough sleep. It certainly wouldn't be the first time.

"I love you," says Harry miserably.

"I love you too," Nick murmurs.

"You're the best person in the _world_ ," Harry says, rubbing his eye with his hand. He looks very dazed.

"Okay," agrees Nick.

"Come back to my house," Harry begs, "come back and make me breakfast when we get up tomorrow. You make the best breakfast ever."

Nick leans back into the couch. "You're going to need a good breakfast. I can't, though. I've got a real adult job. It's not all fun and games, not like gallavanting around the world like you lot."

"I do real work!" Harry protests, but it's not very convincing because he's nearly asleep.

A grin appears on Nick's face. "Like what?"

"Making people like me," Harry half-whispers.

"You don't have to work at that," says Nick, and - there. For a moment, Liam catches a glimpse of a softness beyond soft in his eyes, the vaguest sense of melancholy.

(Zayn taught Liam what melancholy meant back at the bungalow, and it's been one of Liam's favourite words ever since. He's never sure if he's using it right but he feels like it encapsulates these feelings that wouldn't have had words otherwise.)

"I'm being serious about kissing you," Harry says, barely moving his mouth.

"And I'm being serious about you getting some sleep," Nick replies. "We'll compromise. You'll get some sleep, I'll kiss you in the morning. How's that?"

"Yeah," Harry relents at last, eyes slipping closed. "Okay."

Liam waits for what feels like forever and what he hopes is a few minutes, to make sure Harry really is asleep, before he approaches. "Looks like he's staying the night, then?"

Nick looks up and smiles. "Don't worry, he's in good hands."

"I trust those good hands, Mr. Grimshaw," Liam assures him, smiling back and wrapping his arms around himself. "Thanks for looking after him."

"Thanks for letting me share," Nick corrects him and looks back down at Harry. Liam decides then that he's going to take his leave.

 

"I can't believe he thinks that's Harry being friendly. Harry literally asked to make out with him!" Liam huffs, taking his hands away from the piano and crossing his arms behind his head. He hasn't seen Nick in two weeks, but he can't get it off his mind.

"It's because he's an idiot," Louis says, tongue poking out in concentration, "duh."

"He's _not,_ " Liam argues, but there are glimmers of doubt in his mind. "Okay, well. Sort of. Is that what I'm like? You know, when you say I'm oblivious, is that what I'm acting like?"

"Uh." Louis deliberates on it for a moment, pen paused over his song notebook. "Yeah, a little bit. I mean, I think if someone said they wanted to make out with you and have children with you, you'd get the picture. Which he doesn't. Because he's an idiot."

"Don't be mean," Liam tells him, but it's more out of habit than anything else. Louis pays him no mind.

"Anyway," Louis says, "we have songs to write. And we can't write them all about confusing love affairs our friends may or may not be having with radio hosts, because I think that's a bit too specific a topic."

Liam surrenders. "Yeah, you're probably right."

 

Business continues as usual. Harry keeps doing ridiculous things like getting papped out holding hands with Nick or going on his radio show at wild hours of the morning, and Liam keeps trying so very very hard to mind his own damn business.

So, honestly, the next time he runs into Nick at a party, it's an accident, a mutual friend. He didn't know Nick would be there, and he has been trying to keep his distance, but he can't say he's not happy to see him.

"Hi, Nick," he says, voice only raised a small bit over the music. Nick turns from chatting to a friend and sees him and gives him a big shiny smile that makes Liam feel already more relaxed, more accepted.

"Hi, Liam Payne," he says, "y'alright?"

"Good, thanks, you?" Liam replies, nodding.

"Alright, yeah." Liam thinks that might be where their interaction ends, but Nick baits him. "How's Harry?"

"Pretty good, as far as I know," says Liam, and he can't help adding, "I'm sure you'd know better than I would."

Nick's friend snorts into his drink and then pretends nothing happened. Nick simply shrugs, not looking fussed either way. "Haven't seen him in a few days." Then he beckons Liam over. "Liam, this is--"

From there, Liam is swept along in introductions; he's well connected now, of course, but he doubts that anyone is as well connected as Nick is. It's like a whole little world that Nick has built, a universe that quite honestly revolves around him, and Liam can see the appeal, can see how easy it would be to get swept away in it. He sees, for a brief moment, what Harry must get to see all the time.

Nick doesn't stop talking about Harry, either. Just as Harry's stories all begin with "Nick and I-" Nick's stories all open with, "One time, Harry was-" and (although admittedly his stories are better than Harry's) Liam feels the connection in the way the events play out, feels like he's probably heard these stories from the other perspective before.

 

They end up the last ones on the balcony as things die down. They nurse beers and watch people start to go home. The lights of the city are spread out underneath them and Liam gets that confidence he only gets when he's at a party late at night.

"So, Nick," he begins slowly.

Nick looks up at him for a moment, and then lets his gaze drift to the sky. "So, Liam."

"I was thinking."

"Dangerous occupation," Nick says, and Liam laughs, reminded more of Louis than anyone.

"Yeah, s'pose so." Liam takes another mouthful of beer and goes for lighthearted with his tone. "Nick, I think. When you like someone, you should tell them, yeah?"

Nick's face passes through a series of expressions before finding itself at mostly blank and slightly confused. "Right."

"Yeah." Liam leans back in his chair and looks up at the stars, trying to remember where Orion is. Zayn taught him about constellations on their last tour when neither of them could sleep. They're hard to see in the cities but Zayn has a mastery of picking out one bright star and leading out amongst the dimmer ones. "Even if they're, like. Really famous. I think you should still say something."

"Yeah, I've heard that," says Nick, but he looks perplexed.

It could be the liquid courage, or maybe the sheer frustration, but Liam adds, "I'm sure there's a brunette popstar out there who's just pining over you."

Nick turns to look at him, brow furrowed. His eyes widen, he sits up straighter. Then, the expression Liam has missed, that expression of pity and fondness appears on his face, and Liam almost feels disappointed. He was so sure, until this moment, that Nick liked Harry back, and -

"Liam," says Nick gently, "I'm... I'm flattered, I really am. You're a really sweet bloke, and I'm not trying to say you don't have a fantastic face or anything, only...sorry."

Liam blinks. Twice. Several times. "Wait, what?"

Nick's mouth twists and he reaches out to pat Liam's shoulder. "Don't take it too hard, yeah? We can still be friends and all. Besides, loads of other fish in the sea. Honestly, you don't want little old me anyway, you deserve someone far buffer and more dashing."

Like a timer going off, it clicks over in Liam's head, and he lets out a barking laugh that makes Nick jump, and once he's started, he can't stop. "Oh! Oh, you - Nick, it's not _me_!"

Over Liam's laughter, Nick says, "What? What did you mean, then?" As Liam finds his breath, Nick's face does the brow-and-then-eyes thing again and he says, "Wait, you don't mean... you don't mean _Louis?_ No way! _"_

All that does is set Liam off again, laughing so hard he's doubled over.

"This isn't funny, Payne, I don't know what's going on!" Nick says, sounding harried. "Niall's a natural brunette, right? What are you trying to tell me?"

"For god's sake!" Liam puts his face in his hands. "Is this what it's like trying to drop hints to me?"

"Who are we talking about?" Nick demands.

"Harry!" Liam bursts out.

It's very quiet.

Nick stares at him, mouth moving in shapes vaguely similar to speaking, but with no sound coming out. Finally, he manages, in a voice barely louder than a whisper, "Harry? Harry Styles?"

"Yeah, what other Harry would I mean, mate?" Liam replies, voice not much bigger than Nick's own.

Nick looks shell-shocked, if Liam's being honest. "No," he mutters, swirling his beer out of instinct. "No, you've made a mistake. Harry's my friend, like, my best friend. We're not - no. I'd know."

"Dunno how you missed it, to be honest, mate," Liam says, intently focused on every reaction, and takes a drink from his bottle to keep his nerves down. He's started this now, and he intends to finish it. "He's so gone over you, it's disgusting."

A combination of acknowledgement and horror passes over Nick's face. "Oh my god, he totally is."

"He's so absolutely head-over-heels," Liam says, running his hand through his hair. "We're all resigned to it."

There's a long silence, in which Nick stares at Liam and Liam tries not to stare back.

"So, what, am I supposed to know?" Nick asks at last. "Were you allowed to tell me? Liam, will I get you in trouble if I snog him senseless and then say it's because you told me I could?"

Liam laughs, rests back in his chair and closes his eyes. "Dunno, mate. Dunno."

 

Nick is fairly quiet for the rest of the night. Partly out of embarrassment and partly out of consideration, Liam keeps away, chatting to other people and trying his best not to worry. He sucks at not worrying, though, and he's texted Harry before he's even on his way home.

' _hey harryyy_ ,' the message reads, ' _if something weird happans in the next few days tell me pls??_ '

It's late, past midnight, and Harry should be asleep, but as he gets older Harry is getting worse and worse at _should_ s. He replies in a few minutes with ' _Uh. Okay. Any reason..?_ ' and Liam decides not to reply.

 

It's four days later when Harry texts him again. It's short, and succinct, and takes the weight from Liam's chest.

' _The weird thing happened.. I'm pretty happy right now. X_ '

 

To Liam's lack of surprise, things aren't much different after that. Harry still does the thing where he rests his hand in the small of Nick's back and stares at him like he hung the moon, as if nobody's going to notice, and Nick still laughs into Harry's hair, still curls his hand into Harry's shirt when they're pushing their way through crowds. Harry still makes terrible jokes on the radio and accidentally tells Nick he loves him on the phone all the time. Nick still doesn't mind.

The main difference is probably Harry's smile when Nick turns and kisses his cheek, or his smile when Nick takes one of Harry's hands in both of his, or his smile when Nick is standing around doing nothing. Any trace of resignation or self deprecation or – moving to a word Liam didn't have to learn from Zayn – _sadness,_ is gone. He's shining all over.

So, you know. It might be the best thing Liam's ever done.

 

**Author's Note:**

> find me on tumblr at gentlezayn.tumblr.com !!


End file.
